Remember Me
by UchihaSakura4
Summary: Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi are on a mission to save Sasuke from Orochimaru, but something goes wrong and when Team Seven gets back to Konoha, Sasuke included, Sakura has gone into a coma. What's worse, though, is that she can't remember any of them when she wakes up. T for language SasuSaku
1. The Accident

**A/N: Hey readers! So this story is going to take place after Sasuke left Konoha, but instead of him staying gone, like he did in the manga, he is going to return. I'm not sure how much I'll write; in fact, it entirely depends on you. If I get a good response, then I'll make it into a story, but if not, then I'll probably stop or just end it fast. So, you know what that means, right? Review! Let me know what you think. **

Disclaimer: Naruto, I own you not.

**Remember Me**

Chapter One: The Accident

"_A friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself."_

* * *

"It's time to move." Sakura nodded and stamped out the fire with one of her feet. She grabbed her bag, flung it onto her back, and checked to make sure that all her weapons and medicines were in the right places. She looked up and smiled warily at Naruto, who was doing essentially the same thing. Naruto grinned and gave her a thumbs up. "Sakura," he said, "this is it. We are finally going to rescue Sasuke." Sakura shifted uncomfortably and did her best to smile. "I sure hope you're right about that," she said softly.

Naruto's grin was infectious. "There is no way we leave without him. Not this time." Kakashi stood up and grabbed his pack as well. "Well then, I'd say we'd better get started if you want to keep your word. We don't have much time before they move again." Everyone nodded, and without another word, they were in the trees and on their way to restore Team Seven. Dawn broke as they traveled, and to her relief, Sakura could feel the air slowly getting warmer.

She shivered and tried not to think about where she was going, which of course was impossible, because she was going to find Sasuke. It had been years since she had seen him last. In fact, her last memory of the onyx-eyed boy was when he had left her on the bench when they were twelve. But Sakura was weak then, and that seemed like a lifetime ago. Now she was a talented apprentice to the Hokage herself, Tsunade, and an advanced medic that everyone admired and respected. She was a different person now, but so was Sasuke. He had trained under Orochimaru and could think of nothing but revenge.

Sakura sighed and checked her map. According to their intel, Sasuke, Orochimaru, and Kabuto should be in this area right now. Actually, right in this area, if she was reading the map right. "Guys," Sakura hissed, "hold up!" Naruto and Kakashi stopped and gathered around her. "What's up, Sakura?" asked Naruto. "Are we there?" Kakashi peered over her shoulder at the map and Sakura pointed towards their current location. "Yeah," she whispered, "I think so. We should move more quietly. They could be anywhere." The two ninja nodded, and they began to move more stealthily.

After about three minutes of this, they could hear some sort of battle taking place. "That has to be them," Kakashi muttered. "There is no such thing as a coincidence. Lets get a better look." They snuck closer and were able to get a better view of the skirmish through the branches of trees, just a few yards away from the fray. Sakura squinted and recognized Sasuke. He was fighting none other than Orochimaru, and the sight of that snake made Sakura's blood boil. She could remember everything he had ever done to hurt her and her village. "Calm down," Kakashi whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We can't afford to be reckless or hasty."

"But Kakashi, he's right there, and he's fighting Orochimaru! I think we should help him. Don't we all want Orochimaru dead?" Naruto complained. Kakashi sighed. "Of course we do, but that doesn't mean we should rush into this without knowing what's going on. Just have a little patience." But Sakura wouldn't have it. She was focused on the battle, and Sasuke wasn't doing so well. She wasn't entirely sure he could win on his own. 'What should I do? I could try to convince Kakashi, but then it might be too late. Sasuke needs help _now'_.

Sakura made up her mind and put the map back in her bag. 'First I need a diversion,' she thought, 'so they can't stop me'. "Hey, guys, do you see Kabuto? I can't seem to find him anywhere." Kakashi grimaced. "You're right. There is no sight of him. Maybe—" Kakashi was looking around, away from her and Naruto, and that was all she needed. Sakura dropped down to the ground below and dashed towards Sasuke.

"Well shit," Kakashi said, watching her go. "Sakura? What the hell do you think you're doing, going in alone?" Naruto yelled. "Wait for me!" Naruto dropped down as well and chased after the pink haired ninja. Kakashi closed his eyes and took a deep breath before jumping down as well.

Sasuke, who was currently bleeding out on the ground, had of course, heard his former teammates yelling at each other, and looked around. What he saw almost seemed like a dream. Sakura Haruno was sprinting towards him at full speed, and she was beautiful. For a moment, he thought he must be unconscious and suffering from a waking dream, and then she was ahead of him, and taking on Orochimaru, no less. Then Naruto was there, and Kakashi too.

Kakashi dropped down beside Sasuke and started checking his wounds. "What's up, you stupid bastard?" Naruto called, looking down at him with a huge grin. "Long time no see!" Just then, Kabuto came running full speed out of the woods from the opposite direction, and began attacking Naruto. Sasuke never even had a chance to reply. He looked back at Kakashi. "What the hell do you guys think you're doing here," he hissed. "How did you find me?"

Kakashi laughed. That is the least of your worries right now, Sasuke. These wounds are pretty serious. We need to get out of here as soon as possible before someone else gets hurt. Sasuke sneered. "And what makes you think I will go back with you?" Kakashi smiled. "What choice do you have? Are you really gonna fight me in this condition?" A scream brought both of their attention back to Sakura. She was on the ground, and bleeding profusely. Sasuke felt an unexpected surge of fear and panic run through his chest and throat. Kakashi jumped to his feet and bolted towards Sakura.

Sasuke wanted to get up too, but his head was really becoming quite faint now, and he wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to keep his eyes open. Everything was blurring and he was just so dizzy. Sasuke couldn't open his eyes anymore, but that didn't matter, because what was worse was that he could still hear, and it was like something out of a nightmare.

"Wait, no! Sakura, hold on, you have to hold on!"

"Calm down, Naruto, its going to be okay!"

"You're going to make it through this! Sakura, you have to hold on!"

"Naruto, CALM DOWN, we can't do anything if you lose control!"

"I'll kill you, you fucking snake!"

The last thing Sasuke heard was the sound of what he could only describe as a beast. Naruto must have activated the Kyuubi in order to fight Orochimaru. But what happened to Sakura? Sasuke tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't fight the tiredness anymore, and finally he allowed the blackness to take over and envelope him.

* * *

His eyelids hurt. Is that even possible? Apparently so, because his were most certainly burning. Sasuke groaned. His whole body ached from the pain of Orochimaru's inflictions, and he tried to open his eyes. At first he was unable to do so, and started to panic. What if he was paralyzed? But then, mercifully, his eyes inched open. Sasuke took a deep, ragged breath and opened his eyes as wide as he could. The light was practically blinding, and Sasuke wondered if that's what was making his eyes burn. They still hurt, but he was sure that it already wasn't as bad, and he thought he could handle it.

He looked around and realized that he was in a very bland hospital. It looked familiar, actually, and then it dawned on him why. He was home. For the first time in four years, Sasuke was back in the hidden leaf village of Konoha. Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, which was rather soothing, and opened them again. He tried to sit up, and realized that he couldn't. It wasn't because he didn't have the strength, though, although it was arguable that he probably didn't, but because of the cold shackles around his wrists and ankles, binding him to the hospital bed.

"Just great," he fumed. As he began to think of ways he could break the shackles, the door burst open, and Naruto entered the room. Kakashi was just behind him, followed by a woman Sasuke didn't know. She was blonde, and definitely top-heavy. There was a diamond in the center of her forehead, and she radiated the most authority in the room. He stared at her and she didn't smile.

"So this is the infamous Uchiha Sasuke," she said. Kakashi smiled humorlessly. "He doesn't look as threatening as I expected. Just a kid, really," she continued. Sasuke scowled. Who did this woman think she was? Then she laughed. "Offended are we? Sorry, I guess I am being kind of rude. I should introduce myself." Kakashi sighed and looked away. Naruto was sitting in a chair in the corner, for once, rather quietly, looking at his feet. Sasuke raised his eyebrows expectantly, waiting for her name.

"My name is Tsunade, and I'm the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, and it is under my authority, Uchiha Sasuke, that I pronounce you a prisoner for your crimes against the village." She paused and studied his face, which was of course, unreadable. "Do you have anything you'd like to say?" Sasuke smiled. "Would you be willing to make a deal?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

"What kind of a deal, Uchiha?" Sasuke did his best to shrug. "My freedom, or at least the revocation of the death penalty that I'm sure you've assigned me, for information. About your enemies, I mean." Tsunade looked at Kakashi meaningfully, and then turned back to Sasuke. "I'll think about it. In the meantime, you aren't allowed to go outside of this room for any reason whatsoever." She smiled. "Not that you could if you wanted to." With that, she turned and walked out, closing the door behind her.

"Don't worry Sasuke," Naruto said, getting up and moving closer. "She's just mad because Sakura got hurt because of you. She and Sakura are really close, so, I think it really hit home." Sasuke decided to ignore how much Naruto was pissing him off in order to learn about Sakura's condition. He looked Naruto in the eye for the first time in years.

"How is she?" he asked. Naruto raised his eyebrows. Kakashi sighed again and also took a step closer. "She's not in good shape. She hasn't woken up yet, and they think she might be in a coma. Who knows how long that will last." Sasuke's stomach felt like lead. Why the hell did she run into that fight to protect him? He never did anything for her! Not since they were just kids, anyway. He couldn't understand what her motives were, and he was equally confused about the feeling in his gut. What did he have to be guilty about? He never asked to be saved.

"Anyone on call needs to go to room 397 right away!" a medic from the hall yelled. "Everyone on call, we need you now! Patient 523 has woken up!" The scurrying from the hall made Naruto and Kakashi whip around towards the door. "That's Sakura," Naruto breathed. And in a second, he was gone.

* * *

Naruto flew down the hallway and swung into room 397. Doctors were pushing him to the sides of the room, trying to get him out of the way, but he wasn't going to give up without a fight. "Where am I?" Sakura's voice was feeble and pathetic. "What's going on?"

"Its okay, Miss Haruno, you'll recover from this whole thing without too much trouble," one of the doctors said soothingly. Sakura looked confused when Naruto finally pushed his way to her bedside. "Sakura, thank God you're okay!" he exclaimed, cupping his hand over hers. "And guess what? We got him! We brought Sasuke back, and Orochimaru is dead too! Isn't that great?" His smile faded when she looked at him with just as much confusion.

"I'm sorry…do I know you? And who is Sasuke?"

* * *

_Next Time:_

"_So," she said, "you must be the Sasuke I keep hearing about." Sasuke didn't understand. "Of course I'm Sasuke. You know who I am," Sasuke replied angrily. Sakura raised her eyebrows. "They told me you'd be rude." Sasuke prevented himself from gaping at her._

* * *

**A/N: So there you have it. There wasn't much interaction between Sakura and Sasuke, if any, but that's how the first chapter had to be. Of course, the rest of the story will be about them rediscovering their relationship…if you liked it, of course. So um, REVIEW! I need support in order to move this story along. And remember, I love you guys! **


	2. Damages

**A/N: Wow! You guys rock! When I woke up this morning, I already had like 15 emails from . Thank you so much for being so supportive! This chapter is all about the aftermath, basically. There will be a lot of explanation, some confrontation, and the kinks of the plot should get worked out here to basically set up the rest of the story.**

Disclaimer: Nope! I just checked and I still don't own you, Naruto. Shame.

**Remember Me**

Chapter Two: Damages

"_Forgetfulness is a form of freedom." –Khalil Gibran_

* * *

_Last Time: _

"_So," she said, "you must be the Sasuke I keep hearing about." Sasuke didn't understand. "Of course I'm Sasuke. You know who I am," Sasuke replied angrily. Sakura raised her eyebrows. "They told me you'd be rude." Sasuke prevented himself from gaping at her._

* * *

Sasuke and Kakashi waited patiently for Naruto to return, but he never came back. After a solid ten minutes, Kakashi gave into his gut and left the room, saying that he wanted to check on Sakura. Sasuke sighed and waited, but another twenty minutes inched by and no one came to tell him what was going on. It was this point that he decided no one was coming back. Sasuke looked at his shackles again, wondering if it was worth escaping yet or not. He lifted his arms, feeling the weight of them, and considered his pros and cons. Kakashi came back as Sasuke was testing the durability of the chains, and frowned.

"Sasuke, please don't try to escape. You won't make if far because of the shape you're in, and then you'll be in even more trouble, if that's even possible." Sasuke rolled his eyes and looked at the window. "You were gone for a long time," he said nonchalantly. "How is she?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "You seem pretty concerned about Sakura," he observed. Sasuke sighed. "Forget I asked," he muttered. Kakashi forced a smile. "Why don't you see her for yourself?" Sasuke turned quickly, in an attempt to voice his deep protest, but it was already too late.

A medic was wheeling Sakura into the room as Sasuke turned to protest, and he blanched at the sight of her. His throat closed up a little as he observed all of the injuries she sustained from Orochimaru. There were cuts and bruises everywhere, in addition to the bandages and wrapped limbs that adorned her now matured body. He suppressed that last thought as soon as it came. After all these years, he thought he would never see her again, and now she was right in front of him, stuck in a wheelchair because of his stupid mistakes.

He frowned. No. Her injuries were her own fault. He never asked her to come for him; he thought he'd made that clear all those years ago by the bench. But that was all in the past, and now that she was here again, Sasuke had to face her. He prepared himself for her pleading and fangirl obsessiveness over him. The medic smiled cordially at Kakashi and left Sakura in the room before closing the door. Naruto was nowhere in sight. Kakashi smiled at Sakura. "How're you feeling, Sakura?"

Sakura grimaced. "I've been better," she joked. Kakashi laughed. "Very true," he replied. Sakura smiled grimly and focused on Sasuke. He was surprised she hadn't immediately spoken to him or done anything of that sort, honestly. It reminded him of how she had completely ignored him before, and simply charged right into his fight. He prepared himself now, expecting the worst, but he was simply not ready for what happened next.

"So," she said, "you must be the Sasuke I keep hearing about." Sasuke didn't understand. "Of course I'm Sasuke. You know who I am," Sasuke replied angrily. Sakura raised her eyebrows. "They told me you'd be rude." Sasuke prevented himself from gaping at her. What was she playing at, pretending to not know him? He looked to Kakashi. Surely this was some practical joke they were all playing on him to get back at him for leaving or something. "Kakashi," he said very slowly, "Is this a joke? It's not funny." Kakashi said nothing, and continued staring at the ground. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and focused on Sakura again. She continued studying him like she'd never seen him before.

"Very funny," he said. "You can stop now." Sakura's eyes softened and wheeled her chair a little closer to his bed. "Sasuke," she said gently, "This isn't a joke. The doctors, they told me I've got post-traumatic amnesia. It's usually caused from a head injury, and the memory loss can be temporary or permanent depending on the severity of the damage." She choked up a little. "I can't remember _anything_ about my life. I'm a blank slate." This was too much. They had taken this joke way too far. Sasuke closed his eyes and tried to calm down.

"Where is Naruto?" he asked as evenly as he could. No one answered. "This was _his _idea wasn't it? Where is he?" Sasuke demanded, starting to lose his cool. Kakashi stood up and wheeled Sakura a few feet away from Sasuke and knelt next to the bed. "Sasuke, this is no joke. When Sakura was fighting with Orochimaru, she sustained a pretty horrific head injury and went into a coma that lasted for almost twenty-four hours. Its not surprising that she has had some memory loss, and it's likely that she'll regain it all back too. She just needs some time, is all. Time and _support_," he added, stressing the last word.

Sasuke couldn't believe his ears. A _little_ memory loss? She couldn't remember _anything_! "Why didn't you tell me about this before she came in here?" he demanded in a low, dangerous voice. Kakashi sighed. "Some things are better experienced than explained." Sasuke momentarily forgot about his restraints and attempted to attack Kakashi, sending a shot up pain up both arms and causing him to fall back onto his bed. Sakura jumped in fear and shock, but Kakashi did nothing. He seemed to have expected this kind of a response. The door opened and Tsunade stepped inside.

"Sakura," she said, "I've been looking for you. You should be resting in your room." Sakura smiled. "I'm so sorry, but can you tell me your name?" Tsunade stared at her for a few moments before giving her a weary, half smile. "Of course. You don't recognize me. My name is Tsunade. I'm the Hokage and your mentor." Sakura folded her hands in her lap and smiled. "Tsunade, my mentor," she repeated. "And this older man is Kakashi, and the one in the bed is Sasuke," Sakura recited. "…Naruto is the one that ran out of my room earlier. Were we close?"

"This is too much," Sasuke muttered. Tsunade fixed her attention on him. "You'll have plenty of time to figure that out later, Sakura. For now, I need to talk to Sasuke." Sakura nodded. "Of course. I hope it doesn't take too long for my memories to return." If they do at all.

"Sasuke Uchiha," Tsunade began, "I've spoken with the elders and we've come to a consensus regarding your offer." Kakashi raised his eyebrows. "That was fast. Should I take Sakura back to her room now?" Tsunade nodded curtly. "Yes, I think that would be wise." Sakura looked confused and looked at Sasuke for some sort of confirmation. He was avoiding her gaze. What didn't they want her to know about him? Kakashi took the handles of her wheelchair and pushed her out of the room, closing the door behind him. Tsunade seemed to relax ever so slightly and continued. "If you give us useful and abundant information, we will commute your death sentence." Sasuke smiled half-heartedly. "Then I guess I'm in luck. What do you want to know?"

* * *

Sakura couldn't stop fidgeting. She looped a bit of her hospital gown around one finger and began twirling. Kakashi sighed. "Sakura, relax. Everything is going to be okay." Sakura looked up and smiled at him. Why does he wear that cloth and headband over his face like that, she wondered. "Thanks, Kakashi." He pushed her back to her room in silence. "Would you like me to help you into the bed?" he asked. Sakura laughed. "I wish I could say no, but I don't think I could do it on my own. I hope you don't mind?"

"Sakura, we've been through a lot together. I don't mind." Sakura smiled and let him lift her out of the wheelchair and into the bed. "Where did Naruto go?" she asked. "He seemed really upset…" Kakashi sat down in a chair and chuckled. "Oh Sakura, already worried about a boy you can't even remember? That's why you're such a great medic and friend, I guess." He sighed. "Naruto just… he needs some time to straighten things out, I'm sure. He'll be okay. Naruto is resilient. One great flaw and strength of his is that he never knows when to quit." Sakura smiled. "He sounds really great."

For several seconds no one said anything. "Um, Kakashi? Can I ask you something else?" Kakashi looked surprised. "You can always ask me anything," he said. Sakura toyed with her sheets now. "Um, about Sasuke… No one really seems to want to talk about him with me… They told me a little about my life, our team, Team Seven, and they told me that I was injured in a battle trying to save Sasuke, but whenever I ask questions about him, people keep avoiding them." She looked at him earnestly. "What are they trying to hide?"

Kakashi let out a long sigh. "Sakura…" He wasn't sure what to say. "With Sasuke, it's a long and complicated story. Honestly, I'm not sure if you should hear it from me." Sakura looked at the sheets again. "I figured you'd say something like that." Kakashi looked pained and he wrestled with what to do. "Look, I don't want you to get the wrong idea about our silence. Sasuke is a good kid. He's made some stupid mistakes, but haven't we all? I don't want to tell you things that aren't my place to tell, but don't be impatient or suspicious. You'll know when you're meant to know." He smiled. "Who knows? Maybe you'll crack that hard shell of his and he'll tell you himself."

Sakura laughed. "He did seem pretty tense!" Kakashi smiled sadly. "You mean a lot to us all, Sakura. Even if some of us aren't willing to admit it." She smiled serenely. "Thank you."

* * *

Naruto didn't bother knocking; he simply barged into Tsunade's office. Tsunade wasn't surprised though, because there is no way she couldn't have heard him coming with the racket he was making. She sighed tiredly, pushed some of her paperwork away, and grabbed her trusty bottle of sake. "To what do I owe this pleasure, Naruto?" she asked sarcastically, and took a swig of sake. Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Do you really think this is an okay time to be drinking, old lady?" he demanded. Tsunade slammed the drink on the table.

"Watch who you're calling old!" She pushed the bottle away and relaxed. "Anyway, what do you want? I'm busy." Naruto glared. "Sakura can't remember anything. What's going on?" Tsunade smiled humorlessly. "Maybe you should be asking one of her doctors." Naruto didn't make any sign of moving. Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Fine. Sakura received a serious head trauma. She has amnesia. We are hoping its only temporary."

"But if she has amnesia, then someone has to take care of her!" he exclaimed. "She doesn't know anything! And how long is this going to last? Seriously, and just when we get Sasuke back too…" Naruto stared at the ground.

"I know, Naruto. I think she'll be in the best hands if we have her stay with a friend during this time. That might help her memory come back faster and she'll be with someone who knows their way around the village and such. I just haven't thought of anyone who can fill the role right now.

"Hinata and Ino are out on long term missions and won't be back for a while," she continued. "I don't really want to leave her with Kakashi, and anyways, he is usually on missions too. Everyone else seems to be too busy with their own lives or not close enough, emotionally, to Sakura to deal with something like this right now."

"I could take care of her," Naruto suggested. Tsunade rubbed her eyes. "I would love to entrust her to you, Naruto, but you are a target simply because you are the Kyuubi. And you did just kill Orochimaru. People will know about that. I'm not sure how comfortable I am with leaving her in your care just now." Naruto groaned and stamped his foot. "This sucks!" Silence occupied the room for another thirty seconds before Naruto's head shot up, his eyes blazing.

"Old lady—"

"That's Hokage, to you," she growled.

"Whatever. What did you decide to do with Sasuke?" Tsunade sat back in her chair and frowned. "You can't possibly be suggesting what I think you are," she said. Naruto nodded. "Think about it," he said. "Sasuke is strong, no one is really looking for him right now, and he cares about Sakura too. He'd protect her."

"Plus he's so annoying, no one will bother him, and so no one will bother her either," he added with a smirk. Tsunade sat up. "What makes you think Sasuke Uchiha cares about Sakura? He left, didn't he? Betrayed the whole village."

Naruto shook his head. "Yeah, okay, he left Konoha to get stronger, but he always took care of Sakura when we were kids. He protected her in our battles when she was in danger, and she was the only one he said goodbye to when he left. But the most important thing was his face when we showed up to save him. The look on his face when he saw her? Yeah, I don't have a doubt in my mind that Sasuke still cares about Sakura."

Tsunade smiled bitterly and leaned back again. "Is that so…" she muttered. "Fine. I will entrust the care of Sakura to Sasuke, if they'll both have it. He definitely isn't going anywhere, so we don't have to worry about him needing to leave for a mission or whatnot. I'll speak to him first thing tomorrow."

Naruto grinned. "Sounds good."

* * *

_Next time: _

_The sun was beginning to set and the sky was a sea of orange, yellow, and blue. Sasuke leaned back and watched the sun set as well. They sat in silence for a good five or ten minutes before Sakura spoke, ending the spell. "We weren't very close before I got hurt, were we?" Sasuke frowned. "I thought you couldn't remember anything? How could you know that?" She smiled sadly. "From your response." A lump filled his throat._

* * *

**A/N: I'm on a roll! Two chapters in two days! So um, was that too slow paced for you? I hope not, because I thought it was all pretty necessary in order to set things up. Please let me know! Things will really start moving starting with chapter three. If you've got any suggestions, I'm halfway just winging it here, so please feel free to tell me what you think! Sometimes stuff like that really helps.**

…**and now you're suddenly feeling an overwhelming urge to review…**


	3. Second Chances

**A/N: Hey again! Long time no see; I just know you're on the edge of your seat to read this chapter! –ha just kidding- I now present you with the third installment of this fic. I hope you're liking it so far. Thank you to everyone who has added this story to an alert list or a favorites list! You guys rock. If you review, I'll love you even more! Just kidding. But no, really. Review. Anyways, this chapter has more Sasuke/Sakura moments. Let me know what you think!**

Disclaimer: Yeah, still no luck. Masashi Kisishimoto owns Naruto, not me.

**Remember Me**

Chapter Three: Second Chances

_"Home is any four walls the enclose the right person." – Helen Rowland_

* * *

_Last Time: The sun was beginning to set and the sky was a sea of orange, yellow, and blue. Sasuke leaned back and watched the sun set as well. They sat in silence for a good five or ten minutes before Sakura spoke, ending the spell. "We weren't very close before I got hurt, were we?" Sasuke frowned. "I thought you couldn't remember anything? How could you know that?" She smiled sadly. "From your response." A lump filled his throat._

* * *

Sasuke resisted the urge to jump out of bed and leave Konoha far behind him as the Anbu unlocked his shackles. Tsunade stood at the foot of his bed, watching him closely. Sasuke pretended not to notice and rubbed his wrists where the chains had been chaffing his skin. The Anbu turned and exited the room as swiftly as he had entered. Sasuke watched the door close after the ninja, and Tsunade smiled. "Don't get any smart ideas, Uchiha. He's standing right outside the door."

Sasuke smirked. "I don't know what you're talking about." Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Don't insult my intelligence," she said. "You remember our deal, right? You are not allowed to leave the village under any circumstances. Our ankle bracelet will ensure that. If you leave or cut the bracelet, we will know." Sasuke sighed. "Yes, I understand. You don't have to repeat yourself." Tsunade nodded, and Sasuke stood up to stretch for the first time in days.

The healers had done a good job. He could barely find any evidence of his injuries anymore. All the smaller wounds were healed, and he only had to worry about the more serious ones, which were wrapped in bandages. Briefly, he wondered if Sakura could say the same. Tsunade watched him begin to test his muscles and strength. She wouldn't stop staring, like she had something to say, and it was beginning to make Sasuke uncomfortable. He stopped and faced her. "What?" he asked. "What is it?" She hesitated and then grimaced. "Maybe Naruto was wrong…"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Wrong about what?" She studied his face for several seconds. "Sasuke," she said, "Sakura has still made no memory recovery. We are worried about her, although she can't know that. It would only hamper her own hopes, and that might be the cause that prevents her from remembering anything. But my point is, she isn't fit to take care of herself right now, not at this rate…" Tsunade trailed off, unsure of whether she should finish. Sasuke stared at her. She wasn't suggesting what it sounded like, was she? He shrugged.

"What's your point?" Tsunade scoffed and turned away. "Never mind, Uchiha. You're obviously not the right person to ask." Sasuke bristled. "You want me to take care of Sakura?" he challenged. She looked over her shoulder skeptically. "I'm not sure," she answered honestly. "She would be safer with you, and it might trigger some memories if she stays with a friend… but then again, you're not much of a friend, are you, Sasuke Uchiha?" Sasuke scowled. "Don't judge me. You understand nothing."

Tsunade shrugged. "If you insist." Sasuke couldn't look her in the eyes. "Think about it," she said. Sasuke picked up the clothing left for him and continued to avoid her gaze. "Fine." Tsunade opened the door to leave.

"How are her wounds?"

Tsunade smiled. "She's much better now," she replied without turning. Her smile widened. "She should be able to leave today if someone is willing to help her change her bandages everyday." Sasuke froze as she shut the door. That woman couldn't be serious. There was no way that he'd be willing to do something that…intimate. Sasuke pulled off his hospital gown and put on his new shirt and pants. His own clothing had been thrown away, presumably, because of the damage plus the sheer amount of blood soaked into the fabric. He looked forward to going home and putting on his own clothes.

Really, he just couldn't wait to be out of this stuffy hospital that reminded him so much of her. Apparently she even worked here. Sasuke got out as fast as he could and went straight to a deserted training field. He had gone without training for far too long. He thought about what Tsunade had said as he practiced. He had no reason to take them up on their request to look after Sakura. He didn't really care about any of them, including her. The sooner he was gone, the better. There was just nothing left for him here. Orochimaru had already given him intel that Itachi was dead, so what was the point in anything anymore? Now he couldn't even take revenge. His life was meaningless.

Sasuke thought about Orochimaru for the first time in days. If he hadn't told Sasuke that Itachi was dead, then none of this would have happened. But without Itachi to hunt, everything was pointless. Sasuke had tried to leave and Orochimaru wouldn't let him, and that was what had led to the fight. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn't hear them come up behind him.

"I'm not sure training so soon after such a debilitating battle is the best idea." Sasuke whipped around and stood face to face with Sakura. His eyes widened. Did they send her here to make him feel bad or something? "Sakura," he said. She smiled. "Hey, Sasuke. I'm glad they let you leave today too." He squinted at her. She didn't seem to be faking it. She probably had no idea that she was being used. Naruto stomped on the ground with a foot. "Don't ignore that I'm here, Sasuke, you bastard!" Sasuke looked to Sakura's left. Naruto was indeed standing there, but Sasuke hadn't been ignoring him. He was so distracted by Sakura's unexpected presence that he honestly didn't notice Naruto there too.

"Che. What are you guys doing here anyways? Shouldn't you be trying to get back Sakura's memories?" he retorted. Sakura's smile wavered, obviously surprised by his raw annoyance, but nothing could shake her good mood, it seemed. Naruto opened his mouth to bounce back some angry reply, but Sakura covered it with a hand. Both boys looked equally shocked. She giggled. "Well, I've spent enough time with Naruto today to know that sometimes he doesn't know when to stop talking."

"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed, "Not cool, Sakura! I don't talk too much!" Sakura smiled sweetly. "Please Naruto, I don't want to pick a fight with Sasuke. Stop making him mad." Naruto sighed. "Whatever. Sasuke, I've spent the whole day with Sakura trying to jog something loose up there," he gestured at her head, "but so far, we've got nothing. I think it's your turn." Sasuke's eyebrows twitched.

"I wasn't aware that we were taking turns," he said slowly. Naruto grinned. "Aww, come on, Sasuke! You're not gonna deny Sakura _your_ amazing company, right?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Naruto laughed and backed up. "That's what I thought. Just pour on the Uchiha charm! See you guys later!" And then he turned and ran off. Sasuke stared after him until he was completely out of sight before looking at Sakura again. She was staring at him. He blinked and she blushed. "What?" he asked. She laughed and looked away.

"It's nothing," she said. Sasuke frowned. Even though she had lost her memories, Sasuke wondered if she was still going become a fangirl. "What's so funny?" he asked. She looked at him again, this time with more confidence, something he wasn't used to seeing on her face. "You're just kind of cute when you're angry," she said. Silence ensued. He couldn't believe she actually said that out loud. She seemed to read his mind. "What? You asked!"

Sasuke scoffed and looked away. "Whatever. So, you still can't remember anything?" Sakura sighed. "Not a single thing. Naruto has taken me all over town to places he says have significance, but none of it has done any good! I'm starting to get a little freaked out." They locked eyes. "Sasuke, what if I never get my memories back?" Sasuke couldn't stop himself from smiling just a little.

"Well, that wouldn't be so bad, would it? People love second chances." Sakura released a surprisingly bitter laugh. "Yeah, sure, I guess so…but I just feel really incomplete." Sasuke stared at her as she studied the ground, helplessly. He couldn't stop the flood of memories from drowning out his brain with all the times he had made her upset or cry. Was it really such a bad thing that she couldn't remember all that sadness? He sighed. "Did Naruto take you home? What about your family?"

She looked up. "Well, he said that my parents were both killed in battle a few years back, so I don't have a family to go back to." Sasuke was shocked. He had never heard of this incident, so it must have happened after he left. She had nothing after her parents died, and he could feel his stomach fill with lead again. "Anyways, he didn't take me home… I'm not really sure why I didn't think to suggest something so obvious. Unless maybe he thought you'd take me later."

Sasuke looked away so she wouldn't see his blush. Why would she think that it would be natural for Naruto to assume that he would take her home later? What exactly did she think their relationship was? "Um, Sakura," he started awkwardly, "I don't even know where you live." She started laughing.

"Well great! That makes two of us!" He thought it was probably safe to look her in the eye again, and when he did she was still laughing. It was hard to resist, but Sasuke managed to repress a smile. She really had become beautiful since he had seen her last. They sat down so Sakura could catch her breath, and once she was able to stop laughing, Sakura laid back and stared at the sky. The sun was beginning to set and the sky was a sea of orange, yellow, and blue. Sasuke leaned back and watched the sun set as well. They sat in silence for a good five or ten minutes before Sakura spoke, ending the spell. "We weren't very close before I got hurt, were we?"

Sasuke frowned. "I thought you couldn't remember anything? How could you know that?" She smiled sadly. "From your response." A lump filled his throat. Had she really just tricked him that easily? "But its okay. Don't feel bad." How was he not supposed to feel bad after that? She paused, and then continued. "I feel like, maybe, I felt close to you before, but it wasn't mutual, because… you don't really seem close to anyone. Like you're all alone." She sat up and looked at him sadly. He sat up too, their eyes locking once again.

"Don't you have anyone to care for you?" she asked. Sasuke looked away. "I don't deserve it," he muttered. Sakura knitted her eyebrows. "I don't believe that. Obviously I cared enough to get myself pretty beaten up protecting you. That must mean something about your character. I don't think I would have done that for just anyone."

Sasuke laughed. "That's where you're wrong. You're too good. That's why you chose to be a medic, after all. You'll go out of your way more than most to help people." Sakura watched him closely. "But not without cause," she said. He frowned. "How would you know? You can't remember who you are," he replied, annoyed. Sakura smiled and looked away. "I don't have any old memories, that's true…but I am still the same person. I just…know." He didn't know what to say, so he said nothing.

"Sasuke?"

"What?"

"Will you help me recover my memories?" There was determination in her eyes. He wasn't sure how to respond. "What are you asking me?" he asked, uncertainly. "Well, maybe you can start by helping me find out where I live?" she joked. Sasuke rolled his eyes, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling just a little this time. She wasn't what he expected at all. She wasn't really getting on his nerves, and in fact, her company was _almost_ pleasant.

"Sure. Let's find your home."

* * *

Tsunade still wasn't sure. "Do you think it will work? Will he take her as his responsibility?" Naruto laughed. "Well, after I left her with him at the training grounds, I stuck around to see what would happen," he said confidently. "And—?" Tsunade asked.

"And, Sasuke almost looked…happy. I think it will take some time for him to figure things out…but yeah, I think he'll feel too guilty about leaving her now. Sasuke will definitely stay to help Sakura."

"Good. And hopefully his presence will help her on the road to recovering her memories. Sakura always had such strong feelings for that boy. It didn't seem to matter how much he hurt her."

Naruto smiled. "I know. But that's true love, isn't it?" Tsunade laughed. "If _that's_ true love, then its over-rated and it sucks."

He laughed. "Maybe so, but I say we give them a second chance. I think that kind of love is worth fighting for." Tsunade sighed. "As long as Sakura is safe and happy in the end, I guess so. We'll see."

* * *

_Next Time:_

"_I painted these walls," she said, chocking a little on the words. "The flowers were my mom's idea, and we did them together." Sasuke didn't know what to say. "I can't believe she's dead…" Her voice turned hard. "I remember painting these walls with her but I can't even remember her fucking funeral." She looked straight into Sasuke's eyes. "Why can't I remember?"_

* * *

**A/N: So as you can see, this amnesia problem of hers is probably gonna take some time to sort out. And I hope the end wasn't too cheesy…I debated with myself for a long time about those last few lines. Originally I planned to go a little further with this chapter, but then I realized as I was writing that it would have been rushed if I had, so I guess the story will just have to be a little longer! You're not complaining, right? Right. Ha. So please let me know what you think with a review and I'll be ever so grateful. Thanks everyone! It means a lot to me that you're still reading this.**


	4. Fragments

**A/N: Sorry for the slight delay! Stuff in my personal life came up and I got really busy for a few days. I hope this chapter makes up for the wait I put you through. Let me know what you think in a review! wink wink**

Disclaimer: I own a few things, but Naruto isn't one of them.

**Remember Me**

Chapter Four: Fragments

"_When you forgive, you in no way change the past – but you sure do change the future." –Bernard Meltzer_

* * *

_Last Time:_

"_I painted these walls," she said, chocking a little on the words. "The flowers were my mom's idea, and we did them together." Sasuke didn't know what to say. "I can't believe she's dead…" Her voice turned hard. "I remember painting these walls with her but I can't even remember her fucking funeral." She looked straight into Sasuke's eyes. "Why can't I remember?"_

* * *

"Sakura, maybe we should call it a rest for tonight and look again tomorrow," Sasuke suggested wearily. Sakura whipped around from her slight lead ahead of him, eyes blazing. "No way are we giving up, Sasuke! I won't sleep until I find my apartment." Drama Queen. Sasuke resisted the urge to sigh and roll his eyes. "Well, can we at least ask someone where it is? We've been looking for hours," he countered. Sakura smiled mischievously. "Sasuke Uchiha," she said slowly, "Naruto told me that you _never _quit. Are you really going to give up on something so simple after just a few measly hours?" Sasuke's eye twitched. What was this woman playing at? He frowned and looked away.

"Whatever. We've scanned most of the village, so there are only so many places left." He walked past her, heading towards the hospital. Sakura caught up quickly, smiling, but a little confused. "Why do you think it is this way, Sasuke?" Inwardly, Sasuke was cursing himself. "I don't know why I didn't think of this _three hours ago_, but you're a practical girl. I'm sure you picked a place close to your job, the hospital." Sakura laughed and Sasuke's frown deepened. "What's so funny?" he growled. "Its just that you're probably right, and it took us this long to figure it out," she giggled, unable to stop. Sasuke raised and eyebrow and sighed. "You must be pretty exhausted to be laughing so hard at something so stupid and _not funny_." Sakura managed to stop laughing and smile.

"Maybe so," she said, "but I don't mind how long it's taken us. I like spending time with you." Sasuke looked at her uneasily. Here it comes. But when he looked, she wasn't giving him that obsessive stare he was so used to, and in fact, she wasn't even looking at him at all. Sakura was looking straight ahead, smiling to herself, seemingly completely oblivious. Sasuke looked away. She was probably just too embarrassed to act that way yet. "Whatever," he muttered.

Sakura smiled and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He looked rather deep in thought and she wondered what he was thinking about. She liked the way his dark hair fell over his face, obscuring some of his features. Somehow, it made him seem more mysterious. It only added to the fact that she couldn't remember a thing about this boy, but a small nagging feeling told her that she had once had deep feelings for him. When she looked at him, spent time with him, she was strangely both at peace and slightly torn. Sakura thought that even though the memories she once possessed were gone, the feelings associated with people still remained anyway, somehow.

Sasuke stopped so suddenly that Sakura almost kept going. She hadn't been paying attention at all. She looked at Sasuke and then ahead of them. They stood in front of a cluster of apartments surrounded by trees and bushes on all sides but their own. Sakura smiled and scanned the apartments. Sasuke raised his eyebrows. "Does this place look familiar?" he asked. She shrugged. "No, not really." She could see the disappointment in his eyes. "But it feels safe. Like it could be a good home." She saw his face scrunch up. He didn't understand. "What?" she asked. "Don't you think your place feels like home?" Sasuke looked away. "How can a place feel like 'home'? What exactly does home _feel_ like? It's just a place; places don't have feelings."

Sakura turned to him. "How can you say that?" She waited for a response but got nothing but silence. She could tell she wasn't getting anywhere. "Home is a place you feel like you belong," she explained. "Don't you feel welcome and safe in Konoha?" Sasuke scoffed. "This place is not a home to me anymore. They don't even really want me here." Sakura's brows lowered. "Why?" she whispered, and he looked at her with a mixture of pity and confusion before looking away again. "Its not important. Don't worry about it. Why don't we ask someone if you live here, okay?" Sakura nodded and he began to walk away. She watched him for a few moments before following reluctantly.

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was still following, and she was, but at a much slower pace. He had upset her. Why did he have to say anything? She didn't need that kind of darkness in her life right now. He could never seem to get it right with her, was always making her sad. Sasuke didn't know how to do anything but make her cry. She wasn't crying yet, but he wondered if it was just a matter of time, and knocked on a random door. The woman was still laughing at something from inside the apartment when she opened the door. When she saw his face, she froze, her smile fading, and then slammed the door as quickly as she could. He could hear her talking quietly, probably telling her kids to stay inside. Probably telling her husband that a criminal was at the door. He hadn't even had time to open his mouth.

Sasuke sighed and began to walk to the next door, but Sakura grabbed his arm. "What the hell was that?" she exclaimed, like she was personally offended. And then he realized that she probably was. She didn't realize that they had shut the door on him, not her. Sasuke smiled. "Who knows? Maybe I scared her. Why don't you ask the next one?" he suggested. She wasn't buying it. She shook her head angrily and made her way back to the first door. Sasuke hung his head for a moment and then grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her away.

"Sasuke, what are you doing? That was completely rude and they need to apologize!" Her face was red with anger. "No they don't, Sakura. They're just scared. Leave them alone and lets try the next one," he said calmly. Sakura stared at him. "I don't understand," she said. "What do they have to be afraid of?" Sasuke let go of her wrist and waited expectantly, thinking she'd get it on her own. After a few seconds, she shook her head. "No, no, no. You're going to tell me what's going on right now. _Why_ are they scared of you?" Sasuke sighed and looked away.

"I'm…I'm not a good person, and I've done some very bad things. My family history is… rather unpleasant. It's completely understandable that people would treat me that way. I never expected anything more of them." Sakura was gaping. "Look, I don't want to talk about it. Can we just move on?" She closed her mouth and scrunched up her forehead, deep in thought. "Fine. But this isn't over." He nodded and waited for her to talk to the next residents. Sasuke stood out of sight, and without his presence, the residents were extremely kind and told her exactly where she lived in the complex. They even offered to walk her there, but she politely declined.

* * *

Sakura and Sasuke had never felt so relieved as when she slid the key into the lock, turned, and it clicked open. They looked at each other, Sakura grinning and Sasuke allowing a slight smile. "This is it," she whispered excitedly, and threw the door wide open. They walked inside Sakura's apartment and Sasuke closed the door behind them. So this is what Sakura's apartment was like. It was…warm. The walls were a pale yellow and there were photos and mementos everywhere. Sasuke felt at ease. Sakura walked around the whole living room several times, sliding her hand across the surfaces and just looking. Sasuke was motionless, observing from a distance. "Do you feel anything?" he asked. Sakura kept moving, touching everything. "I'm not sure yet," she said.

He sighed and walked over to an end table. She had a photo resting there, and he picked it up curiously. It was an old picture of team seven. He remembered that day perfectly. Naruto was loud, annoying, and generally all-important. Sakura was excited to be on a team with himself, and still so immature. Kakashi was, well he was Kakashi. Sasuke remembered how anxious he was to get moving with gaining power. All he could think about was Itachi.

Sasuke didn't even notice her walk up behind him and jumped when she placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to get a look at the photo. Sakura giggled. "Its just me," she said. Sasuke handed her the picture and stepped away, looking at the rest of the room. Sakura sighed and studied the photo. "I look so young and happy," she said. She looked up and smiled at him. "You look as annoyed as ever."

"Hn. I was," he replied. He looked away momentarily and then back at her. "You don't remember it?" She looked at the photo again and shook her head. Then she started swallowing a lot. Sasuke froze. She was about to cry. "Well," he said, trying to salvage the situation, "its no big deal. You'll remember when you're ready," he said. She swallowed again. "I hope so." The longer he stood in the room, the more sure he was going to cry. Now any reasonable guy would probably have stayed to make her feel better, but Sasuke couldn't handle more tears. Especially not from Sakura.

He turned and walked into her bedroom without thinking. In a small apartment, there aren't a lot of rooms, so it was either going to be a bedroom or a bathroom, but all he was thinking was how much he wanted to be in a different room. So when he realized that he was in her bedroom, Sasuke panicked inwardly a little. After all, he'd never really been in a girl's bedroom. The walls were a pale pink and the trim was white. There were darker pink flowers hand-painted on the walls elegantly. They wove together and made the walls stand out. Sakura had family photos on a dresser with her framed medical certification hanging on the wall above. Sasuke felt like an intruder and thought about leaving, but when he turned around, Sakura was behind him, eyes glassy.

"I painted these walls," she said, chocking a little on the words. "The flowers were my mom's idea, and we did them together." Sasuke didn't know what to say. "I can't believe she's dead…" Her voice turned hard. "I remember painting these walls with her but I can't even remember her fucking funeral." She looked straight into Sasuke's eyes. "Why can't I remember?" Her voice cracked on the last word, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Sasuke had closed the gap between them in a mere moment without meaning to and held her close to him. He didn't realize what he'd done until his arms were around her waist and her face in the crook of his shoulder. She wove her arms under his and grabbed the fabric on the back of his shoulders and began to cry softly. They stood this way for an immeasurable amount of time before her tears were spent.

When she was done, Sakura let go of his shirt, and Sasuke reluctantly released her. She rubbed her blood-shot eyes and sat down on the bed. "Thanks," she whispered. Sasuke nodded and sat next to her. "You should get some sleep," he muttered. Sakura smiled humorlessly. "I don't think I could if I wanted to." Sasuke forced a smile. "You're tired and totally spent. Try." Sakura sighed and took off her shoes. Sasuke stood up, tucked her in, and turned to go. He turned off the light and just as he stepped out, she called his name. "Sasuke?"

He closed his eyes. "What?"

Her voice was weak. "Will you stay? Until I wake up, I mean. Please?" Silently, Sasuke turned around and walked back into her room, closing the door. He sat down in a chair by the bed and closed his eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

Sasuke felt incredibly cramped and stretched his arms, legs, and back before opening his eyes. In front of him was a wall painted in pink flowers, and for several seconds he stared at it, his mind completely blank. Where the hell was he? He sat up in the chair he was in, no wonder he was so uncomfortable, and looked around. Then it all came rushing back. Sakura with her head injury, her amnesia, finding this apartment, her crying, finally going to sleep. And he had stayed with her and slept in the chair by her bed. He rubbed his eyes and stood up. Sakura was still sleeping and Sasuke glanced at the clock. They had only been asleep for a few hours. He stretched again, mentally cursing the uncomfortable chair he picked to sleep in.

Sasuke looked at Sakura's sleeping form again, wondering if it would be okay for him to sneak out. She was tossing a lot and her face was scrunched up in what he thought might be pain. Should he wake her? "Sakura?" he asked. She didn't seem to notice. Sasuke leaned over the bed and tapped her shoulder. "Sakura?" Sakura was gripping her covers so hard that her knuckles were turning white. "I won't let you hurt him," she growled without opening her eyes. Sasuke began to shake her by the shoulder. "Sakura, wake up! Its just a dream." Sakura thrashed around and then sat up so fast that she bumped her head into his, knocking him backward.

"Fuck!" Sasuke yelled in pain, and put a hand to his forehead. "Owww," Sakura groaned. "What just happened?" Sasuke checked to make sure he wasn't bleeding before glaring at her. "You sat up and head-butted me as hard as you could," he retorted angrily. Sakura smiled sheepishly and continued rubbing her own forehead. "I'm sorry Sasuke. I guess I'm always making your life harder…" Sasuke blanked. What was that supposed to mean? He narrowed his eyes and moved back towards the bed, sitting on the side. "Well you wouldn't know, would you?" he asked carefully. Sakura smiled uncomfortably at her hands clasped in her lap. "Don't be so sure about that," she whispered. Sasuke frowned. "What is it?" he asked. Sakura looked up at him and their eyes locked.

She hesitated, and then spoke in an unwavering voice. "Sasuke, I can remember my childhood. I remember you."

* * *

_Next Time:_

_Sasuke couldn't breathe. This was all happening too fast. "What, what do you mean you can remember me? What do you remember?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. He wasn't sure he was ready for her to remember all the things he had done to her. He wasn't ready for her judgment. Sakura smiled sadly. "Not everything," she qualified. "It's still far from all of my memories… but I think I was dreaming about the Chuunin exams when you woke me up. When Orochimaru put the curse mark on your skin."_

* * *

**A/N: I'm trying not to rush their relationship, so I hope it's moving at a reasonable pace. If I move the relationship too fast then it'll become OOC, and that would be bad. ha ha So let me know what you think about everything. That would be awesome. Also, if you've got any suggestions or whatever, let me know and I'll see if I can work it out somehow. You guys rock! **


	5. Confrontation

**A/N: I'm SO sorry for the delay! I've been too busy to write lately and I feel really bad about it. This is a big chapter though, so I hope it makes up for the wait. Next time, I'll try to update faster. Thanks for your patience! I love you guys.**

Disclaimer: I posses no rights to Naruto.

**Remember Me**

Chapter Five: Confrontation

_"Seeking to forget makes exile all the longer; the secret of redemption lies in remembrance." –Richard von Weizsaecker_

* * *

_Last Time:_

_She hesitated, and then spoke in an unwavering voice. "Sasuke, I can remember my childhood. I remember you."_

* * *

Her statement was flanked by utter silence. The room grew cold and Sasuke began to feel claustrophobic. He couldn't breathe. This was all happening too fast. He swallowed. "What… what do you mean you can remember me? What do you remember?"He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. He wasn't sure he was ready for her to remember all the things he had done to her. He wasn't ready for her judgment.

Sakura smiled sadly. "Not everything," she qualified. "It's still far from all my memories… but I think that I was dreaming about the Chuunin Exams when you woke me up. When Orochimaru put the curse mark on your neck."

Sasuke couldn't dislodge the unpleasant lump in his throat. "I don't…" Sakura sat up more, straightening her back and putting them at eyelevel. "I can remember everything from an early age up until the Chuunin Exams. After that is…fuzzy. I know its there in my head, you know, but just out of reach. Its so frustrating that I can't access those memories!" She scrunched up her face in an apparent attempt to remember. Sasuke wasn't paying attention anymore.

She could remember through the Chuunin Exams. That meant that she didn't know about him leaving yet, but it wouldn't be hard to figure out. How else does the whole village hating him make any sense? And if she could remember Orochimaru and the curse mark, then she could even deduce where and why he left. If she thought about it for long enough, Sasuke was sure that that was the catalyst required to restore the remainder of her memories.

But why did any of this even matter? He couldn't think of a good reason to care whether she remembered him or not. It's not like he had feeling for the girl. He'd long ago decided that he didn't have the time or the capacity for any romantic relationships in his life. Unnoticed to him, a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, despite the chilliness emanating from the room. Sakura's hand on his cheek; however, stirred him from his reverie.

"Sasuke," she worried, "you're burning up!" She had moved closer while he'd been thinking and he hadn't even noticed. He felt his face grow warm from embarrassment, and he slapped her hand away from his face aggressively without thinking.

"Don't touch me," he blurted out. Sakura's face fell and her hand hovered in the air between them. He'd hurt her, again, and waited for the inevitable tears. Sakura lowered her hand slowly but her eyes remained dry. She didn't back away, but when she spoke, her voice waivered.

"Are you okay, Sasuke? You look a little sick."

Sasuke flinched. How could she be worried about his wellbeing after the way he treated her? His blood boiled and he stood up to face the door. "Why do you always ask such stupid questions? You should worry about yourself more often."

Sakura's response was quiet. "I don't understand why you're so mad all the sudden. Why don't you want me to remember you?" Sasuke froze. It would come soon, the resentment. Might as well get it over with. He spun around, determined to stop her before she made the same mistake twice, and found her standing as well. He had opened his mouth in preparation to explain why he found her annoying and wished she'd give up on him. Because after all, if she was just going to hate him after her memories came back, why let her embarrass herself now by permitting another declaration of love.

Suddenly he couldn't bring himself to do it though. Her head was bowed and her hands were clasped in front of her waist. Her light pink hair obscured her expression, but he didn't need to see her face to know what it looked like. He looked away. "Who the hell said I don't want you to remember me? I don't care if you do or not. It won't change anything."

"That's a lie."

Sasuke glared at her. She looked back, determined not to lose this time. "If you didn't care, then you wouldn't be so bent out of shape. You're afraid of what I'll remember because you care about what I think of you."

Sasuke said nothing and she continued.

"You must have done something pretty awful to be this worked up over the return of my memories… Does it have to do with Orochimaru?" Sasuke scowled, frustrated by her persistence and dedication. And the fact that she was right about everything. "Its none of your business what I do with my life," he muttered. Sakura stamped her foot and took a step closer, invading his privacy.

"Don't be stupid, Sasuke! Of course its my business; you're my teammate and I … I…" She faltered, unable to finish. Sasuke scoffed and looked away. "You what? You _love_ me? Please, Sakura, grow up. You don't even _know _me." He tried to swallow, but the lump in his throat just wouldn't go away. Sakura's face crumbled and the heavy sickness in Sasuke's gut intensified.

"Don't you see? No one can ever help you if you keep them at am arm's length! I _do _love you, Sasuke, but I can only do so much." Sasuke rolled his eyes but Sakura didn't stop. "I stopped Orochimaru from taking you, defended your unconscious body, but you went to him anyway, didn't you?" Sasuke looked away again, swallowing.

"I know you think you're unforgiveable, but you're wrong! Whatever you did, I forgive you, because deep down, I know you're good. You may have gotten that curse mark, but you also suppressed it when I asked you to." She blushed, remembering their embrace. Sasuke hoped that she couldn't see the slight blush forming on his cheeks too.

"Sakura," he started.

"No! I'm not done yet," she interrupted forcibly. "I know you've made mistakes, but guess what? Everyone makes mistakes, so please stop acting like you are alone and let me help you!"

Sasuke clenched is teeth. "Who says I want your redemption or your help?"

Sakura didn't waver. "Because you care about me too."

Sasuke smirked.

"Oh really? How would you know?" Sakura smiled and took another step forward. "You're still here, aren't you? In my apartment? And what was that hug earlier, when I was mourning? Do you mean to say that you did that even though you don't care about me?"

Sasuke didn't have an answer to that. He looked down at his feet. He knew that he didn't want to face her judgment, but he'd never really thought about why he wanted her acceptance. Did he really have deeper feeling for her than he was aware of? It would make the sickness in his stomach and throat makes sense, and also the fear of her rejection as well.

But how could like this girl? She had always been so annoying to him, an obstacle in quest for power.

But she wasn't the same girl anymore, was she? It wasn't just the amnesia either. Sakura had become more intelligent and responsible. She had to, in order to be an apprentice to the hokage. And she was stronger and braver too. Enough to go head to head with Orochimaru for him, someone who had shown hardly any interest in her and abandoned her in the middle of the night on a bench.

Sakura had matured since then too. When they were young, Sakura had no life of her own; she was obsessed with Sasuke and swooned pathetically for him. As he understood it, the whole village adored her now, and she had really found her place in the hospital. She had a life now, and while she obviously still cared deeply for him, her world didn't revolve around Sasuke Uchiha.

If he did somehow have feelings for her, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. Sasuke sighed. If, in the end, he started to fall for Sakura, then he was screwed. She was loyal now, sure, but what would stop her from hating him once she remembered him leaving and everything else?

Sakura had been waiting patiently while Sasuke thought all this through, but was getting anxious. She touched his chin with a few fingers and lifted his face up away from the floor. She blushed when their eyes met.

"Well?" she asked. "What's the verdict, Uchiha?" She smiled. Her fingers still lingered on his chin, and Sasuke closed his hand over hers and held it between them. Her blush intensified. "I don't know yet," he answered honestly.

"At least we're past slapping me away," Sakura joked awkwardly. Sasuke smiled before he could stop himself. What was that about? He quickly replaced the smile with a stoic expression.

"I think we should go see the hospital," he said, changing the subject. "They would want to know about your memory recovery." Sakura nodded and pulled her hand away.

"Sure, you're right." They stood for several seconds in an uncomfortable silence. Sakura laughed quietly. "Are you going to lead the way?" she asked. "I don't really remember how we go here…" she trailed off. Sasuke sighed.

"Right, of course," he said. "Let's get going then."

* * *

_Next Time:_

"_Don't ask questions you don't want answers to. Maybe some things are better off forgotten." Sakura couldn't believe her ears. Whatever happened in the last four years must have just been devastating, but she was tired of being in the dark. She needed answers._

* * *

**A/N: There you have it. Sasuke is slowly starting to consciously realize his true feelings for Sakura. I hope it wasn't sudden or anything. I'm still trying to take it slow, but I felt like one thought just logically led to another. Let me know what you think! Should I slow down, speed up, or stay the same pace? The next chapter should have more action in it. This entire chapter was a conversation, I know, and I hope that wasn't boring or anything. **

**Is there anything in particular that you'd like to happen? Let me know and I'll see if I can incorporate it into the fic. Again, thanks for being so patient with me. It took me forever to upload this chapter because I just started working again and don't have much free time. I'll attempt to have the next chapter up in a week or so. Cross your fingers. **


	6. Secrets

**A/N: As I said on my profile, I am **_**so sorry**_** about how long it's been since I've updated. I've just been so busy, and then I got time to write, and I was stumped. Anyways, once I got going, I think I developed more or less where I want this story to go, but I'm always open to suggestions. If it makes it any better, this is the longest chapter yet. Hope you like it. **

Disclaimer: Yep. Still don't own Naruto.

**Remember Me**

Chapter Six: Secrets

_"A man's true secrets are more secret to himself than they are to others." -Paul Valery_

* * *

_Last Time: _

_If, in the end, he started to fall for Sakura, then he was screwed. She was loyal now, sure, but what would stop her from hating him once she remembered him leaving and everything else?_

* * *

Sasuke had always prided his good sense of direction among other things, but at some point he had to admit that they were hopelessly lost, again. Despite the fact that he was sure they've been walking in circles for over forty-five minutes, Sakura hadn't complained once. He wasn't quite sure what to make of this, and honestly, didn't want to give it much thought. He didn't particularly want to give any topic concerning her much thought. It was too confusing. Turning another corner, Sasuke found that they were at the same intersection they'd passed through ten minutes ago.

"Fuck!" he yelled. Sakura grimaced behind him. "If only we hadn't gone so lost in the way to your damn apartment, this wouldn't be so fucking confusing," he hissed under his breath. Sakura understood his frustration. He wasn't just tired and lost; his pride was at stake. "I'm sure things have changed around Konoha since you left. Your confusion is understandable," she ventured calmly, trying to placate his temper. He scowled her foully. "Spare me, Sakura. I don't need your pity." She winced and looked away, sighing. Sasuke watched her rub temples with a free hand as she squeezed her eyes shut. He instantly regretted his bitterness.

"I'm sorry," he muttered almost inaudibly. Apologizing wasn't something he had tons of experience in. Sakura squinted at him and allowed a painful smile. "Don't worry about it," she said. "Would you mind if we sat down for a minute? I've got a killer headache all of a sudden." Sasuke nodded a little too fast and they found a nearby bench. Sakura sat down and placed her head in her hands. "Thanks," she practically whispered. Sasuke hesitated, and after a few seconds of awkward deliberation, sat uncomfortably next to her. "Sure," he said. He scanned the area, still trying to figure out which path they hadn't tried yet. After choosing a new road, he looked back at Sakura, who was still cradling her face.

He felt an uncomfortable shift in his stomach. What if this was more than a headache? What if it was medical and she needed to be at the hospital? He felt a surge of anger at Naruto for leaving a practically helpless and defenseless girl with him in a city he couldn't even remember. It was so like Naruto, so irresponsible! Sasuke's blood boiled. But this wasn't the time or the place. He'd have to satiate his anger later. For now, Sasuke resolved to concentrate on getting Sakura to the hospital.

"Hey, are you okay? You're not looking too good," he said, trying to mask his concern. Sakura nodded unconvincingly. "Yeah, it's just a headache," she moaned. "Are you sure?" he prompted. Sakura looked confused. "What else would it be?" she asked. Sasuke shrugged and looked away. Sakura sighed and stood up. "I guess I should suck it up until we get to the hospital," she said reluctantly. Sasuke was about to protest, but was cut short by a certain white-haired ninja.

"What are you two doing on this part of town? I can't imagine there being anything of interest here for two kids like you," Kakashi said, coming out of nowhere. Sasuke frowned, but Sakura smiled welcomingly at the sight of their old mentor and asked, "Why, Kakashi? Is this a bad part of town?" He shrugged. "Not bad, just not a place for kids." He narrowed his eyes. "You look different. Did something happen?" Sakura smiled. "As a matter of fact, yes! I can remember my childhood today. I never dreamed so many memories would come back so fast! But only the ones up until the Chuunin exams."

Kakashi's eyes widened. "Really? Then what are you doing out here? You should have gone to the hospital first thing!" Sasuke looked away and Sakura blushed. "About that…" Sasuke moved forward suddenly. "We were just on our way," he explained confidently. Kakashi narrowed his eye. "Oh?" Sasuke nodded, grabbed Sakura's hand without thinking, and pulled her towards the road he picked earlier. "Are you taking some shortcut I don't know?" Kakashi laughed. Sasuke froze, causing Sakura to bump into his back. "If not, I'd advise going this way." Kakashi turned around and went in the opposite direction.

Sasuke's face burned as he watched Kakashi lead the way. Sakura squeezed his hand unexpectedly, and he pulled away unconsciously. How long had they been holding hands? Their eyes met for a moment. "Sorry," he muttered again. "It's okay," she said, looking away to hide her pain. Like he couldn't see it. Would this knot in his chest ever go away? After an excruciatingly slow and awkward walk to the hospital, Kakashi led them straight to the front desk and began flirting with the receptionist without delay. Sakura tried to speed things up, and Sasuke leaned against a wall, ignoring them all.

"Sasuke Uchiha?"

Sasuke looked up and saw that three ANBU were standing in his way. He smirked. "Yeah?" They looked at each other silently through the masks, and the middle ninja spoke first. Sasuke noticed Sakura watching intently from just a few feet away and wondered if she could hear what they were saying. "The Hokage has summoned you to her office." He paused, and then continued, clearly annoyed. "We've been looking for you for hours." Sasuke cocked his head. "I was busy." The ninja on the left stepped forward in what he must have thought was an intimidating gesture. "Well your schedule just cleared. You're coming with us." Sasuke bit back a laugh.

"Sure, sure, whatever." The ninja on the right reached to grab Sasuke's arm, but Sasuke sidestepped him. "That's totally unnecessary. I don't plan on fighting." The three ANBU exchanged another glance and the one in the middle nodded. "Good. Let's go already." Sasuke glimpsed Sakura on his way out. Her face was a mixture of confusion and concern.

Sakura watched the ANBU lead Sasuke out in numb shock. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but it looked serious. Whatever trouble Sasuke was in, it was deep. She checked to see if Kakashi had noticed, but he was still busy flirting. She sighed and rubbed her temples again. This was starting to feel like a migraine, and she wondered briefly if migraines ran in her family. A handsome blonde in a lab coat and thin-framed glasses came rushing through a door ahead and made a beeline to her through the crowd.

"Ms. Haruno," he panted, "I hear that you've regained some of your memories!" he ran a hand through his disheveled hair, trying his best to make it lie flat, and Sakura looked at him curiously. "Um, yeah, that's right. I can remember most of my childhood actually, but that's all. Is that normal? Remembering in segments like that?" The man gave her a tight smile. "Well, your case is certainly exceptional, Ms. Haruno, but yes. Usually it doesn't all come back at once; however, usually it comes in much smaller chunks than a whole childhood experience all at once!" He let out a very tired laugh and pushed his glasses up his nose. Sakura forced a smile. "Please, call me Sakura. I'm not used to such formalities." The man laughed again.

"Not yet, I suppose, as you are still inhabiting your childhood mind." He stared at her curiously for several uncomfortable moments before slapping himself on the forehead. "I'm so sorry! I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Dr. Taniguchi. I'll be your personal doctor during the duration of this… affliction." He held a shaking hand out, and Sakura took it nervously.

"Dr. Taniguchi… not to be rude, but when was the last time you slept? And just how many coffees have you had today?" Taniguchi seemed surprised and dropped her hand. "Ms. Haruno," he started. "Ah! Sorry, _Sakura_, you have no reason to concern yourself with these matters. I'm perfectly capable of treating you." Sakura gave a small laugh and looked at Kakashi for help. Taniguchi also peered at Kakashi.

"Will you be joining us, Kakashi?" Kakashi put an arm around Sakura's shoulders and laughed. "Of course I will! She can't go through this alone. I can't believe that Sasuke bailed out at the first given opportunity." Sakura wondered if Kakashi really hadn't noticed the ANBU take Sasuke away or if he was still trying to protect her from something she didn't know yet.

* * *

The Hokage's office was completely different from what Sasuke had expected. Before, when she wanted to talk, Sasuke spoke to Tsunade from a hospital bed, so this was his first time coming to her office. He observed everything from half eaten take-out, to bottles of alcohol, to stacks of paper capable of burying and suffocating a small child, should they fall. Tsunade sat serenely in the center of the room at her desk while a frantic woman with dark hair scurried around the room breathlessly, trying in vain to make the place look clean. Sasuke sighed, focused on a small pig sitting by one of the dangerously tall mountains of paperwork, and raised his eyebrows. What a strange pet.

"Sasuke Uchiha," Tsunade said, her voice flat. Sasuke looked at her and waited, giving no audible reply. This seemed to annoy her, but she went on regardless. "You recall from yesterday that we've commuted your death sentence." He nodded with a sinking feeling in his stomach, waiting for her to get to the point. Whatever she had to say was bound to be bad news. "We did not; however, agree that it was safe for you to run free in Konoha. The truth is, we just don't trust you, even with your information." Sasuke narrowed his eyes, waiting patiently for the inevitable sucker punch.

She smiled. "Not much of a talker, huh, Sasuke?" When he didn't reply, she laughed humorlessly. "Whatever. You're going to like what we decided more than you expect to, you see, because we haven't decided to put you in jail… Where you belong." Her voice was ice and she took a swig of sake. "Instead of prison time, you will be free to walk the streets of Konoha, but only Konoha, and in exchange, you will work for me as a double agent." Sasuke laughed and she slammed her cup on the table, making him flinch. Her eyes burned. "This is non-negotiable, Sasuke Uchiha."

"Why isn't what I already have to offer good enough?" he retaliated. She scoffed. "People make decisions constantly and are always changing their minds, young man. Your information is limited at best, and most of it is probably inaccurate already. Once people hear what you've done and what happened to you, as they inevitably will, your information will be compromised and therefore useless. The only way for you to provide something useful to me is for you to get continuous, fresh intel." She took another swig, making her checks even redder. "Do you understand?"

Sasuke shifted his weight and huffed. "Sure, I get it. I just have one question." Tsunade waited wordlessly and Sasuke crossed his arms. "For how long?" The Hokage smiled, and he was sure there was a glint in her eyes. "That's a damn good question, Uchiha! We didn't discuss that, but I have a suggestion. How about for as long as you would have spent in jail. Sound good? That would be several years, I'm thinking."

Sasuke laughed. "You really hate me, huh?" Tsunade responded by taking another swig. "Anything else you want to add?" he asked, turning away slowly. "That's about it for now, Uchiha." Sasuke put his hand on the doorknob and paused. "Well you might care to know that Sakura has regained some of her memories." He looked over his shoulder to see her expression. Shock. Excitement. Hope. He grinned. "Too bad none of them involve you though." He took the next few moments to savor the following look on her face before closing the door in her face. He knew Sakura would despise what he had just done, but he didn't care. He really hated that woman.

* * *

Sakura stepped outside of the hospital and stretched. Her stomach growled and her hands flew to cover it, blushing. Kakashi laughed. "When was the last time you ate?" Sakura faltered. "Um… gosh, that's a good question." Kakashi stared at her. "Seriously?" he muttered. "I think the last time was when I was at the hospital yesterday afternoon," she said, meeting his shocked gaze. "You mean to tell me that Sasuke didn't make sure you got dinner or lunch in the time you spent with him?" Sakura blushed and looked away. "Well it didn't really occur to either of us. To be fair, he didn't eat anything either." Kakashi scowled and took her hand. "No, Sakura, that wouldn't be my definition of fair. You need to eat. Especially in your condition. This is no time to be treating your body this way." He pulled her towards the center of town and found a noddle cart. "This is as good as anything." He gently forced her onto a stool and made her order a big bowl. Sakura smiled. "Naruto loved this place," she said absentmindedly. Kakashi smiled and nodded. "I'm glad you're starting to remember."

He stood awkwardly behind her, hovering, as she began to eat. After a few minutes of this, Sakura couldn't stand it anymore. "You either need to sit down or go away Kakashi, because you're kind of freaking me out." He sighed. "I'd like to stay but I don't really have the time…" She frowned. "Then if you have something to do, go do it. Gosh, don't go all maternal over me. It's weird." He laughed and then sighed. "I can't just leave you alone though," he said, dragging the sentence out, unsure but tempted. Sakura smiled and swiveled in her seat. "Yes, you can. This morning was pretty pathetic, but I'm sure that I can find my way around now that I'm somewhere familiar. Konoha couldn't have changed too much from when I was a kid and now." He still didn't look too sure. "Kakashi, I'll be fine. Go." Finally he gave in and promised to spend more time with her later. After he was gone she sighed a mental sigh of relief and went back to eating her ramen.

"Sakura, what are you doing here all alone?" she turned as Naruto sat on a stool beside her. She smiled, genuinely relieved to see him. "Naruto," she said, "hey. Kakashi just left, but it's okay. I'm fine by myself." She stopped him before he was able to interrupt. "Naruto, actually, some of my memories have come back. I can remember all the way through the Chuunin exams." She grinned at him and he positively beamed back.

"Are you serious! That's amazing Sakura! I can't wait to tell everyone that your memories are coming back! Who knew that useless Sasuke would be able to actually help out." Naruto was grinning like a little kid and Sakura realized how much he really meant to her. Her friends were amazing and really ready to do anything for each other. "But Sakura, you still shouldn't be alone right now. Things have really changed since then. We were just kids," he said, looking intensely into her eyes. She scoffed.

"Naruto, we are _still_ kids," she said. "I mean, we're only seventeen!" He smiled sadly. "We may be young, sure, but not kids. Not for a long time. Actually, I kind of envy you, because you don't remember it… any of it." He trailed off, looking at nothing in particular, but clearly deep in thoughts. Sakura felt like a cold hand had grabbed hold of her lungs and squeezed. What was he talking about? What exactly happened after the Chuunin exams? Suddenly he snapped out of it and grinned. "But anyway, I'm being a total downer when we should be celebrating the return of your memories!" He beckoned the vender and ordered his own meal enthusiastically. He didn't even have to tell the man what he wanted because he came here so often. If he hadn't just said something so cryptic, Sakura would have found the exchange rather funny.

"Naruto?" He didn't seem to hear her and went on excitedly about who knows what. "Naruto?" she tried again, but he was drowning her out. Was he doing it on purpose? She never thought of Naruto as crafty like that, but maybe he really had changed. "Naruto!" she yelled, breaking through his banter. He wiped the smile off his face and looked at her resignedly, as if he knew what was coming. She looked at him fiercely in the eyes. "What happened after the exams?" Naruto looked away and she grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer, forcing him to make eye contact. "Sasuke left, didn't he?" Naruto placed his hands over hers and carefully loosened her grip on his shirt. He didn't blink, not once, and she had never seen him look so serious.

As Naruto looked into her eyes, he knew that it was happening all over again, and he didn't think he could go through this a second time. The first time was more than enough, and he had been there to pick up the pieces. But Sakura had finally got her life in order. Finding Sasuke and bringing him back was a matter of closure, and now he was going to break her adolescent heart all over again. Naruto took a deep shuddering breath and sighed. "Maybe you should ask him yourself, Sakura. I don't think it's my place."

Sakura stared into Naruto's eyes, unwavering for almost a full thirty seconds, considering what he said. She let go of his hands and stood up, ignoring her half eaten meal. "Where can I find him?" Naruto looked at her dubiously. "Why would I know? It's not like he has a place to go home to. Didn't he stay with you last night?" Sakura sighed. He was right. "I guess I'll just have to look for him then. Catch you later." Sakura turned on her heels and went straight to her first guess, a training field.

"Sakura!" Naruto called behind her. She turned expectantly. "Yes?" Naruto hesitated. "Don't ask questions you don't want answers to. Maybe some things are better off forgotten." Sakura couldn't believe her ears. Whatever happened in the last four years must have just been devastating, but she was tired of being in the dark. She needed answers. Without replying, she turned and went in search of her childhood crush. It took about half an hour for her to find him sitting by a lazy river that ran parallel to one of Konoha's less popular training grounds. Leave it to Sasuke to pick the most secluded place to loiter.

Sakura took a deep breath and steeled herself. It was now or never. Letting her breath out in a gush, and began to walk towards Sasuke.

* * *

_Next Time_:

"_If you didn't 'give a damn', then you wouldn't be trying so hard to change my mind and hide the truth from me. After all these years, after everything I've done for you, sacrificed for you, you really still can't trust me?" Her voice broke at the end and she had to look away. Sasuke finally looked at her, his inner turmoil finally surfacing on his face, but she wasn't done. "I may not be able to remember defending you from Orochimaru, but I must have known the risks when I ran into that battle." She met his eyes again. "I did that for you, Sasuke. Won't you do this for me?"_

* * *

** A/N: So I hope that this was worth the wait. There was hardly any Sasuke/Sakura interaction, but I figured they needed some character development apart from one another. And some things just needed to happen to progress the storyline; I hope that it wasn't boring or anything. Let me know what you thought, and if you've got ideas, don't be afraid to voice your opinions! The next chapter is going to be rather angst ridden for Sasuke and Sakura. Hopefully I can pump it out soon. **


	7. Struggle

**A/N: Okay, here it is! I hope that you like this chapter. I loved writing it, actually, and it all just came spilling out of my imagination. Maybe my writer's block is finally slayed! **

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

**Remember Me**

Chapter Seven: Struggle

_"Repentant tears wash out the stain of guilt." –Augustine of Hippo_

* * *

_Last Time: _

_Naruto hesitated. "Don't ask questions you don't want answers to. Maybe some things are better off forgotten." Sakura couldn't believe her ears. Whatever happened in the last four years must have just been devastating, but she was tired of being in the dark. She needed answers._

* * *

Sasuke envied the lazy river. It had no problems or worries in the world. It didn't matter to the river that it was pointless or that no one would notice whether it was there or not. It was perfectly content with being directionless. Sasuke skipped a stone, badly, and watched it sink to the bottom of the stream. It wasn't until she was close, that he heard her approaching from behind. Sasuke looked over his shoulder and saw the last person he wanted to see. With a deep sigh he returned his gaze to the river.

Sakura moved with purpose. She was determined to get to the truth. Sasuke looked over his shoulder momentarily and caught a quick glimpse of her. A dark look passed over his face and he looked away again, ignoring her. She almost couldn't believe it, but then she had to remind herself that he had really always treated her this way. One or two kind acts from him did not under any circumstances mean that he had changed. At most, he probably just felt pity for her. Sakura bristled. She didn't want his pity; she wanted the truth.

He reached for another stone to skip and Sakura kicked it out of the way, her foot almost colliding with his hand. Red-hot anger flashed across his face, but on the inside he was full of uncertainty. "What do you think you're doing?" he growled, doing his best to sound annoyed. She couldn't already remember everything, could she? That's the only explanation for her suddenly being so angry. He didn't think it would happen this fast. He was hoping it wouldn't happen at all. Sasuke had expected to be prepared for this moment, to know when it was coming, but he wasn't. Nevertheless, he stood up to face her eye to eye. Sakura frowned.

"Tell me why you don't want me to remember what you did," she demanded, getting straight to the point. Sasuke laughed harshly. "If I don't want you to remember, then why do you think I'd tell you now?" Sakura's frown deepened and she balled up her fists. "Because I have the right to my own memories, don't you think? You're being awfully selfish right now." Sasuke was stunned. She had never spoken to him this way. It was clear that she still didn't remember anything past the Chuunin exams, meaning she was still in the mindset of a girl hopelessly in love with him, and that girl never got angry with him. Not even when he was leaving her.

"Maybe you should consider the fact that you're getting a second chance here," Sasuke snarled, "and stop trying to bite my head off. Just start over! Other people would kill to have the opportunity you have!" Sakura faltered. "Is that what you want, Sasuke?" He balked, clearly confused. She clarified: "Do you want to start over?" He flushed and looked away. "Yeah, sure, let's start with the murder of my clan. Erase that for me, Sakura, and then maybe I can start over too." He crossed his arms and looked away. To Sakura, it seemed like he was trying to hold himself together with his arms crossed like that.

She faltered a little more. "I can't imagine the pain that you feel because of those memories," she began, but he didn't give her a chance to continue. "No, you can't, so don't bother trying." Sakura swallowed deeply, putting all her effort into remembering why she was here and controlling her emotions. "What could you be so ashamed of, that you're using your family to distract me from it, Sasuke Uchiha?" she asked quietly. The blood drained from his face, but Sasuke said nothing. "If you're afraid I wont forgive you," she said.

"I don't give a damn who you forgive." He still wouldn't look at her and his voice was even and flat, but Sakura wasn't giving up. "You're a bad liar. If you didn't 'give a damn', then you wouldn't be trying so hard to change my mind and hide the truth from me. After all these years, after everything I've done for you, sacrificed for you, you really still can't trust me?" Her voice broke at the end and she had to look away. Sasuke looked at her, his inner turmoil surfacing on his face, but she wasn't done. "I may not be able to remember defending you from Orochimaru, but I must have known the risks when I ran into that battle." She met his eyes again. "I did that for _you_, Sasuke. Won't you do this for me?"

Sasuke felt like he was being torn in two. Violently. On one hand, he was kicking himself, telling himself that he shouldn't, _didn't_, care about what she thought and it was no big deal if she remembered her memories, so why not help her? On the other hand, the feeling in his gut was intensifying to an almost unbearable weight, telling him that he can't ever let her remember because he wasn't sure if he could handle her hatred of him. His gut was in an all out war with his brain, and it was telling him that he definitely did care what she thought. He didn't want her to realize how low he'd fallen or how pathetic he'd become. He had nothing left to live for, and he knew it. Unlike that damn river though, he couldn't stand being insignificant.

"I never asked you to save me, dammit," he whispered. He was shaking, although Sakura didn't think he noticed. She swallowed deeply and then took a step forward. Then she wrapped her arms around him. He froze for a second, confused, but it was only momentary. Sasuke pushed her away, kicking himself all the while. He tried to turn and escape the situation, but Sakura was clearly determined. She grabbed his arm with an even stronger grip this time, and pulled him to her, enfolding her arms around him in a tight embrace. When did she get so strong?

"Let go," he demanded, trying to pull away. Sakura pushed the back of his head into her shoulder and released a short, humorless laugh. "Shut up, Sasuke. Just shut up." He squirmed, unsure of what to do. He definitely didn't want to hurt her, but he never hugged people. He just didn't. Sasuke didn't think he'd been hugged since he was seven years old. "Sakura," he complained again, this time muffled by her shoulder, "I said let go. I don't remember leading you on." Sakura scrunched her face up in annoyance and tightened her grip. "Why can't you just be quiet and enjoy the moment?" He was beginning to realize that this wouldn't end until he gave her what she wanted. He scoffed. "What's not to enjoy?" he asked sarcastically under his breath. He didn't know what to do with his hands. He was completely unwilling to hug her back or even touch her, but anything else felt weird. Finally he decided to just let them hang awkwardly by his sides.

The seconds ticked by and she still hadn't let go. How long was she planning on trapping him? Feeling cramped, he took a deep breath, catching a huge whiff of strawberry, and it smelled wonderful. Then he realized why and his face flushed. Sasuke attempted to readjust his head, but realized that she probably thought he was nuzzling her. That caused his muscles to freeze and tense up. "Aren't you done yet?" he asked, strained. This moment couldn't end soon enough. Sakura smiled and loosened her grip. At least he'd stopped shaking. Just as she was about to let go and she could feel him fidgeting to escape, Sakura pulled him even closer than before and put her lips to his ear.

"Sasuke, you need to know something," she whispered. His body shuddered and became as stiff as a board. His hands flew up and grabbed her arms, as if he'd planned to push her away and then thought better of it. "Obviously I'm not getting any information out of you today, but I'm going to learn the truth. If you want to help out, that will definitely speed up the process, but I don't need it. Do you understand?" She paused for a second, considering her wording. "When I do remember what you've done in the past, know that I'll also remember what you do now, and in the future… this isn't over." She said nothing for several more seconds, and Sasuke wondered if she was just toying with him now, and didn't really have anything else to say.

"And one more thing," she said suddenly. "Sasuke, I want you to know that I'm here for you. If you ever need anything, support, or just someone to sit with, I'm a friend. I may not be able to empathize with you, but I can sure sympathize, and I want to help you. Please don't push me away anymore." She released him, but he didn't pull away immediately, like she expected him to. He didn't move at all for almost a whole minute, and neither did she. She was dying to see his face, but at this angle, his hair was covering most of it. Finally he let go with a suddenness that made her jump, and whipped around so she was facing his back. "Thanks," he muttered, before walking away slowly.

He knew she was watching his every move as he walked away from her, but was determined that she not see his face. There was no way she needed to know how much emotion she had triggered inside him. It actually annoyed him that she'd managed to affect him this way. He could feel that his face was damp but refused to acknowledge what that meant and went on ignoring it. But it was harder to ignore his clenched jaw, his tight throat, his knotted stomach, and his taut muscles. What was she doing to him? He wasn't even sure how much of his anger was directed at her and how much was reserved for himself. No one had ever cared about him before. They'd pitied him, sure, but pity isn't caring. No one ever expected him to amount to much after his family was gone, and they just let him be. Better to ignore the kid and pretend like it didn't happen than to help him, to heal him.

He knew that they had all felt that way. He had been so sure that she was one of them. He thought about what she said and the honesty in her voice. Had she always been so sincere? He wasn't sure anymore. What if she had always cared and he just kept pushing her away because he thought she was more superficial? It's not like she has her memories back, and can only be using the working knowledge she had of him when she was twelve. Sasuke suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to hurt something. He couldn't seem to think of any other way to channel his frustration, and realized that he'd walked straight to his old housing complex. The Uchiha sign was still dangling from above the street, faded, broken and tired.

Tears welled up in his eyes again, but this time he forced them down. He wasn't a weak little boy anymore, and he would not act like one. He began walking down the abandoned Uchiha Clan street and looking around. It occurred to him for the first time since he'd arrived in Konoha that he didn't actually have a place to stay. The first night at Sakura's was a fluke, after all. He hadn't planned on staying there. He entertained the thought of pestering the Hokage for a moment, but decided that he only wanted to see her when he had to. And he had this place, didn't he? Who was she to stop him from moving back here anyway? It belonged to his family, and he was the only one left. He stopped at a random door and slid it open.

* * *

Sakura sat on the ground by the river for a long time, thinking about what happened. Sasuke had told her absolutely nothing, but this encounter didn't feel wasted at all. The mere fact that he didn't force her off him when they embraced was huge, symbolically. And then when she did let go, he lingered. Her face burned, thinking about how he felt pressed up against her.

"Stupid girl, you're supposed to be comforting him, not flirting. Why are you getting so worked up?" she said to herself. She sighed and stood up, doing her best to force her thoughts away from Sasuke. The sun was already low in the sky and she would need to find her way back to her apartment again. She laughed bitterly and hoped her sense of direction had improved from this morning, or it was going to be a long night.

* * *

_Next Time:_

_He felt like he was suffocating again. He didn't notice Sakura stand up and move closer. "Thank you," she said slowly. It seemed like she was so aloof and Sasuke couldn't believe how well she was taking everything. "That's what you said that night. Thank you. And then you were gone and I was on this bench." Then it clicked. She was remembering. Don't run away. Don't you dare run away, he schooled himself. _

* * *

**A/N: So there you have it. It was more humorous and sweet than I meant for it to be, but there's still some decent angst in this one. I hope you liked it enough to leave a review! It always motivates me to write when you guys leave me comments. But even if you don't review, I still love you all! It means everything that you guys enjoy my ridiculous imagination. I'll try to get a new chapter out in the very near future! **

**Until next time!**


	8. Indecision

**A/N: So I hope that you guys liked that ridiculous vice hug that Sakura forced poor Sasuke into in the previous chapter. I didn't even plan on that scene but it just blossomed under my fingertips, and who was I to stop it? Heh, needless to say, that chapter was loads of fun to write. Let me know what you guys think in a review! **

**And I want to take a minute to thank everyone reading this fic; you guys are totally awesome for sticking with me, even after that hiatus, and your support means so much to me! Thanks for reading! **

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

**Remember Me**

Chapter Eight: Indecision

"_When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves." –Viktor E. Frankl_

* * *

_Last Time:_

_There was no way she needed to know how much emotion she had triggered inside him. It actually annoyed him that she'd managed to affect him this way. He could feel that his face was damp but refused to acknowledge what that meant and went on ignoring it. But it was harder to ignore his clenched jaw, his tight throat, his knotted stomach, and his taut muscles. What was she doing to him?_

* * *

Her hair smelled like strawberries and her skin burned against his feverishly. Their embrace was tight and neither one was inclined to break it up early; it was almost a competition of who would let go first. She nuzzled his neck and whispered something unintelligible in his ear, but words didn't matter at this point, only each other. He tightened his grip around her waist and snaked a hand up to her chin, forcing her to look at him. Her eyes seemed to burn with a passion that he'd never seen in them before, and before he could stop himself, he was kissing her. She tasted like vanilla. She kissed him back unreservedly and ran one of her hands through his hair, which drove him crazy. His thoughts grew fuzzy with desire, and then he woke up in a sheen of sweat.

Sasuke sat up straight and rubbed his eyes. He pushed the damp hair out of his face and wiped the thin layer of sweat from his brow. His heart was still racing, his throat was tight, and he felt his cheeks burning. For several seconds he sat motionless, thinking about the dream. "What the fuck was that?" he finally asked himself. All because of one stupid hug, he had a dream like that? He sighed and decided not to think about it for as long as possible, or at least until after he'd eaten something.

Sasuke was sitting on the floor, in the middle of an abandoned bedroom that he found in the Uchiha complex. All the furniture was gone, so Sasuke had opted to simply sleep on the hardwood floor. He'd had worse beds before, but that didn't stop his body from aching uncomfortably; however, Sasuke wasn't thinking about any of these things, and he hadn't even noticed the soreness yet. He stood up, dressing quickly before going outside. The sun was already pretty high in the sky, and Sasuke figured that he'd slept clear until lunchtime. Guess that's what you get for sleeping restlessly in an uncomfortable chair the night before, he figured.

Things had definitely changed in Konoha since he'd left, but most of the main roads had definitely stayed the same, he realized, and getting to the center of town wouldn't be a challenge at all. The walk would take several minutes though, and Sasuke could only keep his mind blank for so long. Every time he started to relax or loosen up at all, his mind drifted back to that dream, or yesterday night, or Sakura in general. He couldn't seem to stop thinking about her and it drove him crazy. A red ball rolled in front of his feet, and Sasuke kicked it hard, trying to vent, not stopping to wonder why it was there in the first place. The ball flew through the air straight at a little boy, who dodged it just in time. The kid fell and skinned his knee.

"Shit," Sasuke muttered, and made his way towards the boy to see if he could help. A woman came out of a house nearby and ran to the boy, who was sobbing unashamedly over his knee. She knelt down and started cooing to who Sasuke assumed was her son. "I didn't see him there," Sasuke said, attempting to explain. He didn't know why he bothered. When she looked up, she was smiling sympathetically, but then her eyes widened and she picked up her kid quicker than he would have thought possible. She turned to leave, but then stopped and looked at him again, her face hardened. "You should go back to where you belong, Uchiha." Then she turned and disappeared into the house.

"Yeah, fuck you too," he said a little to loudly, and continued walking towards the center of town. The incident and several minutes of brooding had put Sasuke in a foul mood and he'd completely forgotten all about Sakura and the dream. He sat down at a little café, a less than a minute later the waiter showed up. The guy froze when he got close and then smiled darkly. "Well if it isn't the infamous Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke said nothing, but his temper was really starting to boil. He should have expected this, he did expect it, but that didn't seem to stop it from pissing him off. "Do you really expect me to serve you anything?" the guy asked mockingly.

"Che, guess not." Sasuke stood up, ready to leave before he hurt someone. "Excuse me?" said a third voice from behind him. Sasuke turned and wished he'd left sooner. The waiter perked up. "Yes, ma'am? How can I help?" Sakura smiled sweetly, although Sasuke detected something sinister under that smile. "I was actually just meeting him here." The waiter looked confused, maybe even a little torn. Sasuke assumed the guy knew who Sakura was.

"There isn't a problem, is there?" she continued. Sasuke narrowed his eyes suspiciously and the waiter's eyes darted between them for a moment, unsure. "Well, that is—" Sakura's smile widened. "I didn't think so. Could you give us a few moments to decide what we want to order? I did just get here after all," she giggled. The waiter seemed to sense the genuine threat that Sakura possessed and nodded before leaving wordlessly.

Sasuke had expected her smile to slip off as soon as the guy left, but instead she sat down and fixated on him instead. He sat down across from her and started to feel a little uncomfortable. "Thanks," he said. She nodded. The silence dragged on.

"Are you mad at me or something?" he asked finally. Sakura laughed. "If I was mad, then would I have helped you like that?" He shrugged. "I don't know. It's not like I asked for your help." Sakura's smile tightened and she picked up the menu on the table. "You never do," she said, not so offhandedly. Sasuke continued to stare at her and willed himself not to think about his steamy dream last night or the awkward hug, which he enjoyed more than he was willing to admit to himself, that she'd enclosed him in the night before. She really had become quite beautiful. He cleared his throat. "Then did you remember something?" She put the menu down and her smile was gone.

"Yeah, actually. Not a complete memory though. It was like a fragment of something, and it was really important, but I can't remember why." Her face scrunched up. "It's so annoying that I can't remember why!" For some reason, it bothered him to see her so distressed. Sasuke was moving before he even realized it. He reached across the table and touched her face, loosening her frown lines. They stared at each other for a few seconds, his hand resting on her face, before realizing what just happened. Sasuke pulled his arm away so fast that he thought he was going to pull a muscle, and Sakura looked away, but not before he saw her face turn bright red.

All the sudden, Sasuke couldn't meet her eyes and instead looked in his lap. "You just— I didn't— I wasn't— …Sorry," he stammered. Sakura smiled softly. "Don't be." They ordered and ate their meal in the most awkward silence either one had ever experienced. When they were done eating and the check was paid, they stood up to leave. "Sasuke?" Sakura asked slowly. He looked at her without speaking, waiting for her to go on. She reached out and took one of his hands, and Sasuke found himself waging an internal battle over whether he should pull away or humor her. In the end, he just ended up staring at his hand in hers and saying nothing. Then he realized she'd been watching him and was waiting for him to look up. He cleared his throat and reluctantly pulled his hand away. "Yes, what is it?"

Her face was unreadable. "I'm not asking you to say anything that would help me out, but would you at least be willing to come with me somewhere? Just, you know, to be there? I was hoping it might trigger something for me…" Sasuke scrutinized her face, wondering if she was trying to trick him. "Does this have something to do with your partial memory?" he asked. She nodded. He squinted. "Where would we be going?" he pushed. Sakura looked away and wrung her hands. "I'd rather not say." Sasuke laughed and she looked surprised. "What?" he asked. "You just don't laugh very often," she admitted. Sasuke sighed. "Fine, whatever. Let's just get this over with." She grinned, hesitated, and then grabbed his hand again anyway, pulling him in another direction. This time he didn't let go.

They hadn't been walking long when Sakura suddenly stopped and released his hand. Sasuke closed his fist, already missing her warmth. He was surprisingly upset that she had let go. Looking up, he saw her moving towards the edge of the street. They were at the front of the village by the gates, and Sakura was approaching a bench. The bench. Abruptly, Sasuke felt sick to his stomach. He didn't realize that his feet were carrying him towards her until it was too late. She sat on the bench and looked at him, and then she lied down and stretched out. She remained like that for about thirty seconds. Then her chest heaved and she sat up. "I remember waking up on this bench and crying my heart out," she whispered. "I don't know why I was here or what I was crying over, but I think it was the worst day of my life. I think it was even worse than when my parents died."

"It was my fault," he said, startling both of them. She looked into his eyes, willing him to continue, but Sasuke couldn't seem to form any more words. His throat was stuck. Hadn't he already done this girl enough damage? After what seemed like forever, Sakura looked away, disappointed, clearly having decided he wasn't going to admit to anything else. He couldn't stick around and see this all over again. He wanted nothing more than to leave and get away from what he'd done. Like the coward he was. The realization hit him in the gut like a wrecking ball. If he left her now, if he didn't tell her everything, then he was nothing but an irresponsible coward who couldn't bear to see the consequences of his own actions. He had to go through with this. "I must be a masochist," he whispered to himself.

Sakura looked up, confused. "What was that?" she asked. Sasuke looked her steadily in the eyes. "The reason this was the worst day of your life is because this memory is from when I left Konoha." Sakura cringed. "No one died, but I betrayed you. I betrayed everyone, and I went to join forces with a man who tried to destroy this whole city. And I wanted to help him; I did help him. Together we did terrible things."

"And years later when I realized that he'd been using me the whole time, I tried to kill him. But you paid the price of my actions and lost your memories for me." Sasuke grimaced. "You had no reason to help me. No reason! But you did anyway because you've always been the selfless one." He tried to catch his breath. "You almost died for me." There wasn't enough air. He felt like he was suffocating again. He didn't notice Sakura stand up and move closer. "Thank you," she said slowly. It seemed like she was so aloof and Sasuke couldn't believe how well she was taking everything. "That's what you said that night. Thank you. And then you were gone and I was on this bench." Then it clicked. She was remembering. Don't run away. Don't you dare run away, he schooled himself.

Sakura looked like she was suffering from a massive headache, and she rubbed both her hands against her head like she was trying to massage it. "It hurts," she whimpered. "My head feels like it's going to explode." Sasuke didn't know what to do and he reached for her, and then pulled away. He had no right to touch her. Not ever. But then her knees buckled and Sasuke caught her before she hit the ground. "Sakura?" he panicked. "Sakura, are you okay?" Her eyes were closed and her mouth was slightly ajar. She had passed out.

Sasuke buried his head in her neck and gasped, trying to breathe properly. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he murmured. Then he picked her up and ran to the hospital as fast as he could.

* * *

**A/N: Whew! Intense ending, right? I hope you enjoyed this chapter enough to leave some feedback! I have a pretty decent idea of where I'm going from here, but don't let that stop you if you want to drop a suggestion. I read and consider them all. Again, thanks for reading and I'll update as soon as possible! Have a fun St. Patrick's day!**


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